Garbage can holder

ABSTRACT

A stand embodying a base frame which is stationed wherever necessary or desired on the ground or other foundation and atop which a conventional garbage can is adapted to be removably seated for accessible use. The frame is provided with circumferentially spaced corner portions. Each corner portion is provided with a securely fastened vertical frame holddown stake. The several stakes have depending ground penetrating points and upper end portions projecting above the top side and functioning to engage and prevent displacement of that portion of the can surrounded thereby. A single upright has a lower end complemental to and joined with one corner portion of the frame and an upper free end portion. A normally horizontal arm is adapted to reside atop the usual cover provided on the can. The arm has a median portion provided with means which is securely operatively connectible to the cover. A rearward end portion of the arm is pivotally connected to the upper end of the upright. The freely liftable and lowerable forward end portion of the arm is provided with the can engaging means which is readily accessible and capable of being conveniently manipulated. When the can engaging means is released the lid or cover of the can is swung to an open position to render the body portion of the can readily accessible for such use as is desired.

United States Patent [191 Kennedy et a1.

[541 GARBAGE CAN HOLDER [76] Inventors: Robert .1. Kennedy; Rose M.

Kennedy, both of 2343 Newton Street, Sidney, Nebr.

[22] Filed: June 28, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 374,780

[52] US. Cl 248/147, 211/84, 248/D1G. 7

[51] Int. Cl A47g 29/00 [58] Field of Search...... 248/DIG. 7, 147, 146, 154, 7 248/156, 188.91; 211/83, 84, 182; 220/36 Switzerland 220/36 Primary Examiner-Ramon S. Britts Assistant Examiner-Robert W. Gibson, Jr.

Attorney, Agent, or Firm--Clarence A. OBrien; Harvey B. Jacobson [57] ABSTRACT I A stand embodying a base frame which is stationed 1 11 3,822,845 [45] July 9,1974

wherever necessary or desired on the ground or other foundation and atop which a conventional garbage can is adapted to be removably seated for accessible use. The frame is provided with circumferentially spaced corner portions. Each comer portion is provided with a securely fastened vertical frame holddown stake. The several stakes have depending ground penetrating points and upper end portions projecting above the top side and functioning to engage and prevent displacement of that portion of the can surrounded thereby. A single upright has a lower end complemental to and joined with one corner portion of the frame and an upper free'end portion. A normallyhorizontal arm is adapted to reside atop the usual cover provided on the can. The arm has a median'portion provided with means which is securely operatively connectible to the cover. A rearward end portion of the arm is pivotally connected to the upper I end of the upright. The-freely liftable and lowerable forward end portion of the arm is provided with the can engaging means which is readily accessible and capable of being conveniently manipulated. When the can engaging means is released the lid or cover of the can is swung to an open position to render the body portion of the can readily accessible for such use as is desired.

1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures I l GAAGE CAN HOLDER construct the seating and holding stand that the component parts each contribute a proportionate share to the overall ready-to-use stand and wherein the stand lends itself to use with currently marketed outdoors trash and garbage cans without requiring alterations in the can or its covering lid. The structural features of the stand are such that the cover or lid stays attached to a pivoted arm of the stand and cannot get lost or mishandled or bent out of shape as is often and commonly the case.

Briefly the stand is characterized by a base frame,

holddown stakes constituting a part of the base frame, I

a simple suitably bent upright, an arm having one end hinged to the bent upper end of the upright and means intermediate the ends of the arm for attachment to the lid or cover and latch means on the free end of the arm which is readily connectible with the .can. The latch means, more specifically, comprises a simple latch having a suitable detent or hook on the lower end for can engaging purposes. Specific means is provided for linking and hingedly and operatively connecting the rearward end portion of the arm to the upper laterally bent end portion of the upright. The laterally bent end serves to stabilize the coacting end portion of the arm and the arm serves to lift and lower the lid and, what is more significant, props and stores the lid in an up out-of-the-way place when loading and emptying the can.

It will be noted that the upright has its major upper end portion inclined at an oblique angle away from the can and provides clearance when the cover is opened. The stored lid or cover does not interfere with loading the can or bodily removing the can from the stand for emptying or replacing the empty ready-to-load can on the base frame of the stand. Novelty is also predicated on the offset upright with a limit stop bend and the T- shaped connnecting and hitching links or connectors which are secured to the bent portion of the upright and serve to accommodate the pivoted end of the arm.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsquently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective showing a garbage can holder constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention and showing, in phantom lines, the conventional lidcovered can supportively based on the stake-held frame.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing a fragmentary portion of the can and emphasizing the lower end portion of the upright and how it is loaded and secured in place.

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectiondetailing the sectional base frame and the manner in which the stakes are bolted to the respective corner portions.

FIG. 4 is a view showing the upper end portion of the stand suitably enlarged and detailing the upper end of the upright, the T-shaped connecting links, the lid cover arm, and the hooked retaining latch.

The can, which may be either a garbage can or a tash can, is of a conventional type, is shown in full and phantorn lines in FIG. 1, fragmentarily shown in FIG. 2 and also in FIG. 4, With particular reference to FIG. 4 it will be seen that the can proper is denoted by the numeral 6 and the lid or cover is designated at 8 and is of theusual type having a flanged skirt or rim and a convex crown portion 10.

The base portion of the stand is designated, generally stated, by the numeral 12 and is preferably made of non-corrodible tubular stock, often referred to as hollow tubing. The base frame is preferably triangular in plan as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. It will be noted that the frame is of sectional construction, the sections or frame members being identical in construction .and interchangeable. The forward frame member is denoted in FIG. 3 by the numeral 14 and the rearwardly converging companion frame members are denoted at 16. Each frame member is basically straight from end to end and suitably elongated and the terminal end portions are flattened and extended and arcuately curved as at 18 and when assembled these curvate end portions overlap to define circumferentially spaced corner portions. This construction and arrangement is brought out in both FIGS. 1 and 3. Inasmuch as there are three cor-' ners there are also three anchoring and holddown stakes, the two forward stakes being denoted at 20 and each comprising a body portion 22 having a pointed lower end 24 and having a median portion which is seated in the crotch of the corner portion provided therefor. The upper end portion of these two stakes is denoted at 26 and the height is such as to effectually coordinate with and position and hold the coacting part of the can against the displacement. The third stake is an integral part of the upright, the upright beingdenoted by the numeral 28. This is to say the main or body portion of the upright is denoted at 30 and is angularly and outwardly inclined as brought out in the views of the drawing. An integral'lower end portion is fashioned into an anchoring stake which is conveniently differentiated by the numeral 32 and which has a pointed lower end 34 and an upper extended end portion 36, these two features corresponding with the aforementioned component parts 22 and 26.

The upper outwardly inclined end portion of the upright is bent laterally as at 38 (FIG. 4) and provides a stabilizing limit stop for a coacting end portion 40 of the aforementioned cover supporting and positioning arm 42. To the ends desired, linking connectors are provided and are disposed in opposed relationship and in spaced parallel positions. Each link constitutes an adapter bracket and is substantially T-shaped and each bracket comprises a head portion 44 and a companion leg portion 46. The respective head portions bridge the bent upper end of the upright and are secured thereto by a suitable fastener or bolt as at 48. The upper part of each head portion extends above the bend 38 to accommodate a connecting and pivot pin 50 on the end portion, that is the rearward end portion 52 of the arm. The intermediate portion 54 resides atop the crown 10 as brought out in FIG. 4 where it is fastened sucurely in place as at 56 and thus the lid or cover is connected to and operates in conjunction with the arm. The free forward and liftable and lowerable end portion 58 of the arm projects beyond the rim of the lid or cover to accommodate a pivot pin 60 which serves to secure the stem 62 of the hooked latch 64. The lower end portion of the latch is fashioned into and provides a hook-like detent 66 which engages the flange of the lid and assists in lifting the lid. The latch can assume the full line the normal position shown in FIG. 4 or can be swung out to a releasing position as shown in phantom lines at the left in FIG. 4.

It is evident that with the choice, arrangement and coordination of component parts shown in the views of the drawings, the bottom of the can can be firmly seated on the generally horizontal base or base frame 12. This frame in turn is provided with adequate anchoring and holddown means, that is the several coacting stakes and 32 and the removable lid or cover is maintained in place by the arm means 42 as shown and described. When the user desires to load the can it is only necessary to lift the lid or cover and push it to the supported out-of-the-way or stored position as shown in part in FIG. 4. The open top of the can can be readily closed by lowering the lid and fastening it down with the latching or hook means 64. By fastening the lid or cover to the arm of the frame, the lid is in a conveniently and accessibly actuatable position. Accordingly, access is had to the can for loading, unloading or empyting as the case may be.

In conclusion and for general background purposes it may be added here that the present invention is an improvement on our U.S. Pat. No. 3,520,419 which may, if desired, be referred to for comparison purposes. Then too reference if desired can be made to analogous prior art, for example, the garbage can stand of A. K. Shaw U.S. Pat. No. 3,003,728 and can support and lid shown in R. M. Timmons U.S. Pat. No. 2,968,459.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. As an article of manufacture, a garbage can holder comprising a stand having a bottom adapted to be horizontally seated and firmly supported upon the ground or upon an equivalent stand accommodating foundation, capable of removably'supporting a conventional garbage can and cover therefor, said bottom further comprising three elongated frame members, each frame member having a pair of flattened but arcuately contoured terminal ends, each being of suitably identical size and shape so as to be interchangeable, and when assembled in the fashion of an equilateral'triangle, an area of a bottom portion of an associated can will be larger than the area of such an equilateral triangle, at least two stakes, each stake having a ground penetrating point, each stake extending vertically a short distance above the bottom to assist in retaining a can in the holder, each stake being connected to a pair of overlapping arcuately contoured ends of a pair of said frame members meeting at two of the three comers of the triangle, an upright having a ground penetrating point and extending vertically a sufficient distance to be approximately equal in height to the top of a can and cover seated upon said frame members, said upright being connected to the third corner of said triangle, thus forming a relatively rigid triangular base portion of the holder, the extreme upper portion of said upright having an arm pivotally connected thereto, said arm extending approximately along the bisector of the angle of the triangle where the upright and two of the overlapping arcuately contoured ends of a pair of the frame members meet, said arm further extending in a generally horizontal direction, parallel to said bottom, and spanning a can cover, the end of the arm remote from the connection of the arm to the upright having a pivotally supported hook-shaped latch member of sufficient dimensions to engage a can, said arm intermediate said two pivotal connections having means thereon to secure a can cover to said am, bracket members fastened to adjacent portions of the arm and upright, adjacent their pivotal connection, and an inwardly bent portion at the upper extremity of said upright, all combining to strengthen the holder adjacent said lastmentioned pivotal connection. 

1. As an article of manufacture, a garbage can holder comprising a stand having a bottom adapted to be horizontally seated and firmly supported upon the ground or upon an equivalent stand accommodating foundation, capable of removably supporting a conventional garbage can and cover therefor, said bottom further comprising three elongated frame members, each frame member having a pair of flattened but arcuately contoured terminal ends, each being of suitably identical size and shape so as to be interchangeable, and when assembled in the fashion of an equilateral triangle, an area of a bottom portion of an associated can will be larger than the area of such an equilateral triangle, at least Two stakes, each stake having a ground penetrating point, each stake extending vertically a short distance above the bottom to assist in retaining a can in the holder, each stake being connected to a pair of overlapping arcuately contoured ends of a pair of said frame members meeting at two of the three corners of the triangle, an upright having a ground penetrating point and extending vertically a sufficient distance to be approximately equal in height to the top of a can and cover seated upon said frame members, said upright being connected to the third corner of said triangle, thus forming a relatively rigid triangular base portion of the holder, the extreme upper portion of said upright having an arm pivotally connected thereto, said arm extending approximately along the bisector of the angle of the triangle where the upright and two of the overlapping arcuately contoured ends of a pair of the frame members meet, said arm further extending in a generally horizontal direction, parallel to said bottom, and spanning a can cover, the end of the arm remote from the connection of the arm to the upright having a pivotally supported hook-shaped latch member of sufficient dimensions to engage a can, said arm intermediate said two pivotal connections having means thereon to secure a can cover to said arm, bracket members fastened to adjacent portions of the arm and upright, adjacent their pivotal connection, and an inwardly bent portion at the upper extremity of said upright, all combining to strengthen the holder adjacent said last-mentioned pivotal connection. 